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Laquan McDonald

Attorneys for former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke believe the 81-month sentence he received last month for the fatal shooting of black teen Laquan McDonald conforms with Illinois law and should not reviewed by the state Supreme Court.

Illinois’ top legal officer and the special prosecutor in charge of the Jason Van Dyke murder trial are challenging the legality of the prison sentence handed down to the former Chicago police officer.

The lead prosecutor in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial says he’s spoken with the state’s top legal officer about the possibility of challenging the prison sentence handed down to the former Chicago police officer.

Attorneys from several legal groups penned a letter on behalf of the slain teen’s great uncle, claiming the former cop received an “illegal” sentence based on reasoning that “cannot be reconciled” with Illinois law.

Last week, a Cook County judge handed down an 81-month prison sentence to former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke. But was a different sentence required? The state attorney general’s office says it’s now taking a look at that decision to see if it fits with state sentencing requirements.

Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan sentences the former Chicago cop to 81 months in prison – just under seven years – for the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald. He will likely only have to serve about half of that sentence.

In October, he became the first Chicago cop in decades to be convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Now, the former police officer will learn his sentence for the 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald.

A Cook County judge says a trio of current and former Chicago police officers did not conspire to hide details of the Laquan McDonald shooting in an unprecedented trial that put a spotlight on the police department’s so-called code of silence.

Were three Chicago cops following procedure after an officer-involved shooting? Or did they engage in a cover-up to try and protect their fellow officer? That’s what a Cook County judge will decide this week.

A Cook County judge has already delayed her finding once in the unprecedented trial of three Chicago police officers. The new verdict date is Jan. 17 – a day before the sentencing of former Officer Jason Van Dyke.